The Communications Vault

I have a Thomas Edison quote hanging in my office that reads, “Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” It’s one of my favorites.

In rebranding your company, you have an opportunity – a big one – to clarify your brand, to make it distinctive and relevant. But a lot of businesses miss that opportunity because they see rebranding as just a redesign. It’s simple. Not too much effort involved.

Whoa.

Let’s back up… your brand isn’t your logo, and it isn’t your advertising campaign. A brand is what people think and believe about your company, product or service. It lives in what your customers think and feel. And it resonates within your company because it is built on who you are, fundamentally. It should be easily identified, quickly described and clearly stand out from the competition. Good branding is focused – and focusing takes work.

When it comes to rebranding, you first need to know what your company stands for. A surefire way to find out is to ask your customers. If you don’t work to define yourself, customers will do it for you. A decision to buy from your company will either be based on an attraction to your brand – or cost, time and availability. If you want your customers to be brand loyal and choose you even when it may be inconvenient for them, you have to tell them why they should.

And they can’t have a preference if they don’t see a difference. No company can be all things to all people. Knowing what your customers want from you and how they want to hear it is just as important as knowing what you want to be.
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